The Real Reason Charlie Hunnam Dropped Out of Fifty Shades

But will this move end up hurting his career?

By
Natasha Burton

Oct 15, 2013

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No doubt Fifty Shades of Grey fans are still in shock over the news that leading man Charlie Hunnam dropped out of film. But while the actor cited his production schedule for Sons of Anarchy as the reason he won't be able to take on the role of Christian Grey, and others have speculated that fan backlash ultimately caused him to leave the project, another possibility has emerged.

According to one of those oh-so-elusive "sources," Hunnam worried that playing S&M pro Grey might hurt his career.

"He dropped out of the project because he didn't want to be typecast," the source told People magazine. "He didn't want the Robert Pattinson-esque attention that would come along with taking on this role."

Certainly, Hunnam isn't the first actor to pass on playing an iconic part. According to IMDB.com, David Boreanaz turned down the role of Batman in Batman Begins, which ultimately went to Christian Bale,Tom Selleck passed on playing Indiana Jones, Stephen Baldwin said no to the main role in Speed, and Will Smith declined to portray Neo in The Matrix.

The difference, however, is that these men weren't turning down iconic parts. (The previous Batman movies were pretty cheesy, so Boreanaz turning that franchise down was probably considered a good career move). Of course, playing Christian Grey would give Hunnam huge exposure and A-list status — not to mention a hefty paycheck with some job security to boot, given that Fifty Shades is a trilogy.

Granted, we don't blame Hunnam for wanting to avoid the kind of attention that someone like Robert Pattinson gets. But what's kind of remarkable is that he's making the choice to say no to this opportunity, in a time when even slightly famous people seem willing do anything for a potential payoff, regardless of what it may do to his or her reputation (or emotional wellbeing). Case in point: Farrah Abraham and her infamous sex tape.

Maybe this decision means that Hunnam isn't just a pretty face but also a smart guy who's trying to stay in control of his career—which might allow him to become just as, or even more, successful than he would've been with Fifty Shades on his filmography. After all, Will Smith seems to be doing all right for himself.